The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-04-13
A DESPERATE WOMAN.
Another Chapter in the History of the
Career of WILLIAM Kfssane.

CLEVELAND, April Sidney c. Burton,
the Cleveland man who followed KIssane
for years and spent $50, 900 in the endeavor
TO bring him to Justice, kept complete
record of ali his movements. His life was
hazarded almost momentarily, and one OF
his most formidable foes was woman, the
wife OF Captain Cummings, who COM
manded the Martha Washington, the boat
that Kissane and his -conspirators
burned on the Mississippi. The Captain
owned an interest in the boat, and the ef
forts OF Mr.. Burton TO prevent the pay
ment Of what he knew to be fraudulent in
surance claims greatly Infatuated the
woman, who was of the most desperate
character.
Mr. Burton, in his own writing, tells of
his first encounter with her in the follow
ing manner:
"All other interviews having failed to
win me over, they 1.-THE conspirators) in
vited me to Cummings room at the Wal
nut Street House, Cincinnati, probably to
make me a final and more liberal propo.
sal. j went, and Cummings commenced
entreating me to stand by him, with the
assurance that everything should be right,
when Mrs. Cummings stepped into the
room. Her appearance attracted my at
tention. She was dashing woman, with
compact figure, handsome face, black
hair and Jet eyes that flashed like Goals of
FIRE. She said not word but commenced
pacing up and down the room with a
nervous step, occasionally glanclng at me
with a strange, yindictive expression. She
reminded me of tigress walking up and
down in a cage. l watched her closely,
what she would say or do, when she re-
marked in a short, sharp voice: I can hit
a qua ter of dollar across this room every
time
"a circumstance which ! am about to
relate induced me TO believe that she might
whip out pistol and shoot me On the spot.
/ thought, in view of the case, that discre-
ton was the better part OF valor, and not
wishing to furnish a target for the pistol
practice of an Infatuated woman, | hastily
excused myself on the plea of another
engagement. The circumstances to which
l allude and from which 1 had previously
gained some idea of Mrs. Cum mings' char
scter is as follows: She was a sister of the
Chapins, residing in Cincinnati when she
became acquainted with and formed an at.
tachment for Cummings, who promised TO
marry her. This was some time before the
Mexican war. Cummings, however, did
not see fit TO keep his word. and
during the war went TO Mexico
with Rufus and Adam Chaplin and
Kimball, where they Kept a gambling
shop on the Rio Grande. They were
they were startled by a strange and wholly
unexpected arrival. Ii seems that Mrs.
Cummings (then Miss Chapin), feeling her
dignity wounded by what she supposed to
be the desertion of the captain, determined
to vindicate the wrongs of her sex. and
compel the faithless lover to fulfill his
pledge. She set about doing this in a
curious fashion. The indignant girl
dressed herself in com plete suit of mans
clothing, armed herself with a brace of
pistols, and started with a brave heart on
her distant Journey. She found her way
without detection to the Rio Grande, aud
hunted up the location selected By Cum
miDgs and the company. On the day OF
her arrival the unsuspecting Cummings was
dealing faro in the shop when in came the
sffiancsd lady. She jerked out a pistol,
pointed it at Cummings head. and ad.
dressed him fiercely: Captain Cummings,
you cen either marry me or take this IN
your head In the midst OF the Captains
CONSERVATION, he found breath enough to
say: why, Allie, my dear, is that you?
He very sensbly determined to marry her,
and the ceremony was performed by a
priest the same day. 1t was knowledge
of this history that induced me to take a
rather hasty leave of Captain Cummings
apartments"
subsequently Mr.. Burton, in his pursuit
of the criminals, found Captain Cum mings
in a gambling den in New Orleans. On
this occasion Mrs. Cummings, who was
with her husband, attacked Mr.. Burton
with gun and knife, but a friend ar
rived at the scene in time to save his life.